Keep it Away
by HecateA
Summary: As James feels the cabin fever weighing down on him, he does everything in his power to keep himself from slipping and reaches out to Dumbledore for help with an old family heirloom. Oneshot.


**Author's note: **ADHD James Potter is ADHD and this is the hill I will die on. Hope you enjoy the conclusion of his marathon of fic dumping!

**Disclaimer: **The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

**Warnings: **NA

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**Stacked with: **MC4A; Shipping War; Hogwarts; Remains of War; Rays of Blades

**Individual Challenge(s): **Gryffindor MC (x2); Minerva's Migraine; Old Shoes; Themes & Things A (Secrets); Themes & Things B (Captivity); Trope it Up C (Locked In Together); Advice from the Mug; Ethnic & Present; Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux

**Representation(s): **First Wizarding War; Potters in hiding

**Bonus challenge(s):** In the Trench; Second Verse (Tomorrow's Shade); Chorus (Spinning Plates); Demo (Hot Apple; Sweetest Burn; Machismo; Rock of Ages)

**Tertiary bonus challenge: **NA

**Word Count: **753

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_**Shipping Wars**_

**Ship (Team): **Lily Evans/James Potter

**List (Prompt): **Summer Micro 1 (Running/Jogging)

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_**Hogwarts Submitting Info**_

**House: **Ravenclaw

**Assignment: **Assignment #1, Criminology, Task #2 Alt: Write about someone studying or working with an at-risk individual

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**Keep It Away **

Dumbledore had rarely seen James so solemn, but he had often seen him look fiercely determined. The man's current expression sat somewhere between those two markers, as they stood in the front hall of the Potter cottage. Lily had just carried Harry upstairs to put the baby to bed, after a rather pleasant evening visit.

James took a deep breath before taking the neatly folded garment from the entryway table and handing it over.

"I need you to keep this for me," James said. "Keep it… keep it away from me."

Albus examined what could very well have been a simple bundle of cloth.

"What exactly is this, James?"

"It's…" James ran a hand through his hair nervously. "A lot of things are going to make sense once you understand this object, professor. I had it throughout my Hogwarts years, you see, it's a… a family heirloom. You should, umm… Here, let me put it on, I'll show you."

James unfolded the cloak with a dramatic and clearly very practised hand, before draping it over his shoulders. Immediately, he vanished.

"Astounding," Albus gasped. "I've never seen an invisibility cloak this powerful… the illusion is seamless."

"It's not an illusion professor, it's a true invisibility cloak," James corrected him, pulling it off of him and folding it back up again.

"This does explain a great deal of your school year mischief," Albus said pointedly. He couldn't help but smile as he did.

"Not _all _of it, sir, don't go taking away our due credit," James grinned. "But… it was certainly a great help to us."

Albus nodded. "So why, if you're so clearly attached to this object, should you want to give it to me, James?"

James gulped and looked around the house. Tears welled up in his eyes. He looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure that Lily had truly disappeared upstairs.

"I feel so guilty for saying this," James said so quietly Albus barely heard him. "I know we're doing it for Harry, and I'd do anything for him sir, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone—even Lily, and that's saying so much…"

"James, I'm not quite sure I follow you," Albus said gently.

James gulped.

"I'm going a little bit crazy, being on lockdown," James said. "Like I said, I'm happy to do it for Harry. I'd do anything for him."

"Of course," Albus said gently. "You've made that abundantly clear, James."

"And for Lily," James said.

"Yes, that as well," Albus reassured him.

James swallowed hard, shaking his head. "But I'm so restless. I was never good at sitting still, and I… yesterday, I wanted to go for a run so badly, professor. It was so silly; it was just a run around the village. It wouldn't have changed anything, but I felt so bottled up and caged and... And I thought to myself, _well if I used the cloak to sneak out, nobody would know. _That was absolutely mad of me, I can't believe I thought that."

"Did you go?" Albus said.

"No!" James said. "No, I didn't leave the house. I wanted to stay with Lily and Harry. And I did. We watched some Muggle soap opera without the sound on and invented our own words and she was brilliant at it, and Harry laughed whenever I laughed because he's been doing that a lot lately—did you notice him doing that? It's so adorable…"

"You did the right thing, James," Albus promised.

"Right, but I need you to take the cloak so I don't ever think about leaving the house."

Albus nodded and took the bundle of fabric from James' hands. _It's a true invisibility cloak, _James had said. The old stories had come back to him. He wondered if…

"Do you mind if I examine this object while it is in my care?" he asked James.

"Whatever you want, sir," James said. He wiped at his eyes. "And, umm… if you could not tell Lily about this… I know that she worries about what being locked up is doing to me. I don't know how to explain to her that it doesn't matter, as long as she and Harry are safe. Even when it's hard sometimes."

"I won't," Albus promised. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"I'll want it back, once this mess is sorted, of course," James said with a grin.

"Of course," Albus said. "I'll keep this safe until you're ready to have it again."

"Much appreciated sir," James said.


End file.
